music1880s.html Music of the 1880s By Dana P. and Laura M. Music is a big part of peoples lives today. Everyone loves music. The 1880ï¿½s is very different from today. One of the things that was different was the music. Some of the popular instruments of music was the violin and piano. In the 1880ï¿½s the St. Louis permanent Symphony Orchestra was found in 1880. Classical music at that time was mostly in Europe (McCarthy). ("Performing Opportunities") ("Romantic Period") In Europe, Romantic music was popular at this time, although it was more during the end of this period. Romantic music was very emotional and moody. ï¿½ï¿½The music at times start to get more lively and outgoing.ï¿½ Although at the same time can be gloomy and depressing.ï¿½ ï¿½Nationalist composers would take folk songs from their countries and mix it with the music of the Romantic period to create songs that made an original and very patriotic to their countries (Westrup and Harrison 212).

One of the most famous nationalist composers of thistime was named Antonio Dvorack. ï¿½He was originally from Czechoslovakia, and incorporated many Czech folk songs in his music. ï¿½He was born in Prague and later played viola for the National Theater also located there. ï¿½Later he left the National theater to work on his composition. ï¿½ï¿½He was a spontaneous composerall of his music has a natural freshness which sometimes conceals the skill which it is constructed.ï¿½ ï¿½Some of his works include Hymns, which is for a full choir and a full orchestra, nine symphonies, and several operas (Westrup 212). ("Antonio Dvorack") ("How Classical Music Lover's Exchange Works") Another nationalist composer at the time was Edward Greig, who used his native Norwegian music in his compositions. ï¿½The individual charm of his music lies in the combination of national idioms... with romanticism.ï¿½ He is most famous for his Peer Gynt Suite, which won him worldwide success.

ï¿½The plot, and well as the music, incorporates Norwegian folk stories, like trolls (Westrup, 290). One American Composer that influenced the music in the 1880ï¿½s is John Philip Sousa. He was the director of the Marine band from 1880 to 1892 . Some Marches Sousa composing included;Simper Fiddles, ï¿½Manhattan Beachï¿½, and ï¿½Stars and stripes foreverï¿½ even though Sousa composed wonderful marches he also composed dances, operas, and overtones. He is known as ï¿½Americaï¿½s March Kingï¿½ ("Bands, Orchestras, and Touring Troupes"). ("Evergreen") ("Peopleman Productions") Music was a big part of life in 1880, like it is today. Much of the music then has influenced what we listen to now, so music will continue to be a part of America. Works Cited "AntonioDvorack." 20 March. 2003. Amazon.

<amazon.com/images/G/01/artists/dvorack_atonin1.m.jpg> "Bands, Orchestras, and Touring Troupes (1878-1899)." DIScovering History. 2003. Discovering Collection. Gale. Parkway School Libraries, Chesterfield, MO. 20 March. 2003. < "En Studio" 20 March. 2003. Universal Music. < "Evergreen." 20 March. 2003. Evergreen. < "How Classical Music Lover's Exchange Works." 20 March. 2003. < Mcarthy, Joseph. Recorded of America. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scriberï¿½s Sons, 1974. "Peopleman Productions" 20 March. 2003. Peopleman Productions. < "Proforming Opportunities." 20 March. 2003. < "Romantic Period." 20 March. 2003. < Westrup and Harrison. "Dvorak." The New College Encyclopedia of Music. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1960.

Westrup and Harrison. "Grieg." The New College Encyclopedia of Music. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 1960. ("En Studio") John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa Lieutenant Colonel Jason K. Fettig, Director John Philip Sousa Unequalled by his predecessors, John Philip Sousa is responsible for bringing the United States Marine Band to an unprecedented level of excellence: a standard upheld by every Marine Band Director since. Sousa grew up with the Marine Band, and his intimate knowledge of the band coupled with his great ability provided the ideal medium to showcase the marches which would earn him the title, the "March King." Sousa was born Nov. 6, 1854, at 636 G Street, SE, Washington, DC, near the Marine Barracks where his father, Antonio, was a musician in the Marine Band. He received his grammar school education in Washington and for several of his school years enrolled in a private conservatory of music operated by John Esputa, Jr. There he studied piano and most of the orchestral instruments, but his first love was the violin.

John Philip Sousa gained great proficiency on the violin, and at the age of 13 he was almost persuaded to join a circus band. However, his father intervened and enlisted him as an apprentice musician in the Marine Band. Except for a period of six months, Sousa remained in the band until he was 20. In addition to his musical training in the Marine Band, he studied music theory and composition with George Felix Benkert, a noted Washington orchestra leader and teacher. After his discharge from the Marine Corps, Sousa remained in Washington for a time, conducting and playing the violin. He toured with several traveling theater orchestras and moved, in 1876, to Philadelphia. There he worked as a composer, arranger, and proofreader for publishing houses. Sousa was fascinated by the operetta form and toured with a company producing the musical Our Flirtation, for which he wrote the incidental music and the march. While on tour in St. Louis, he received a telegram offering him the leadership of the Marine Band in Washington. He accepted and reported for duty on Oct. 1, 1880, becoming the band’s 17th Leader.

The Marine Band was Sousa’s first experience conducting a military band, and he approached musical matters unlike most of his predecessors. He replaced much of the music in the library with symphonic transcriptions and changed the instrumentation to meet his needs. Rehearsals became exceptionally strict, and he shaped his musicians into the country’s premier military band. Marine Band concerts began to attract discriminating audiences, and the band’s reputation began to spread widely. Sousa first received acclaim in military band circles with the writing of his march "The Gladiator" in 1886. From that time on he received ever-increasing attention and respect as a composer. In 1888, he wrote "Semper Fidelis." Dedicated to "the officers and men of the Marine Corps," it is traditionally known as the "official" march of the Marine Corps. In 1889, Sousa wrote the "Washington Post" march to promote an essay contest sponsored by the newspaper; the march was soon adapted and identified with the new dance called the two-step. The "Washington Post" became the most popular tune in America and Europe, and critical response was overwhelming.

A British band journalist remarked that since Johann Strauss, Jr., was called the "Waltz King" that American bandmaster Sousa should be called the "March King." With this, Sousa’s regal title was coined and has remained ever since. Under Sousa the Marine Band also made its first recordings. The phonograph was a relatively new invention, and the Columbia Phonograph Company sought an ensemble to record. The Marine Band was chosen, and 60 cylinders were released in the fall of 1890. By 1897, more than 400 different titles were available for sale, placing Sousa’s marches among the first and most popular pieces ever recorded, and the Marine Band one of the world's first "recording stars." The immense popularity of the Marine Band made Sousa anxious to take his Marine Band on tour, and in 1891 President Benjamin Harrison gave official sanction for the first Marine Band tour, a tradition which has continued annually since that time, except in times of war.

After the second Marine Band tour in 1892, Sousa was approached by his manager, David Blakely, to organize his own civilian concert band, and on July 30 of that year, John Philip Sousa resigned as Director of the Marine Band. At his farewell concert on the White House lawn Sousa was presented with a handsome engraved baton by members of the Marine Band as a token of their respect and esteem. This baton was returned to the Marine Band by Sousa's daughters, Jane Priscilla Sousa and Helen Sousa Abert, in 1953. The Sousa baton is now traditionally passed to the new Director of the Marine Band during change of command ceremonies. In his 12 years as Leader of the Marine Band, he served under five Presidents, and the experience he gained with the Marine Band would be applied to his civilian band for the next 39 years. With his own band, Sousa’s fame and reputation would grow to even greater heights. Sousa’s last appearance before "The President's Own" was on the occasion of the Carabao Wallow of 1932 in Washington.

Sousa, as a distinguished guest, rose from the speaker’s table, took the baton from Director Captain Taylor Branson, and led the orchestra through the stirring strains of "Hands Across the Sea ." John Philip Sousa died on March 6, 1932, at Reading, Pa., where he was scheduled to conduct the Ringgold Band. His body was brought to his native Washington to lie in state in the Band Hall at Marine Barracks. Four days later, two companies of Marines and Sailors, the Marine Band, and honorary pall-bearers from the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps headed the funeral cortege from the Marine Barracks to Congressional Cemetery. His music was not the only memorial to John Philip Sousa. In his native city on Dec. 9, 1939, the new Pennsylvania Avenue Bridge across the Anacostia River was dedicated to the memory of the great American composer and bandmaster. More recently, Sousa was enshrined in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1976.

In a fitting tribute to its 17th Leader, in 1974 the Marine Band rededicated its historic band hall at Marine Barracks as "John Philip Sousa Band Hall." The bell from the S.S. John Philip Sousa, a World War II Liberty ship, is there. Perhaps the most significant tribute to Sousa’s influence on American culture, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" was designated as the national march of the United States on Dec. 11, 1987. A White House memorandum states the march has become "an integral part of the celebration of American life." In 2004, 26th Director Colonel Timothy W. Foley opened the season with a Sousa-style concert in honor of the Director's sesquicentennial (150) year. This rousing performance has since become an annual tradition of opening each concert season in early January, and is reminiscent of Sousa and his sold-out concerts. On Nov. 6, 2004, "The March King's" 150th birthday, "The President's Own" and 33rd Commandant of the Marine Corps General Michael W.

Hagee dedicated the new band hall at Marine Barracks Annex John Philip Sousa Hall. "The President's Own" concluded his sesquicentennial year on Nov. 5, 2005, by unveiling an eight-foot bronze statue of Sousa outside the band hall. The statue, funded by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, private donor Mickey Gordon, and the John Philip Sousa Foundation, is the only one of its kind. Sculpted by artist Terry Jones , the statue is an enduring testament to Sousa's contributions to the Marine Band. See video of Sousa conducting the public première of his new work "The Royal Welch Fusiliers" on May 12, 1930 at the White House. Download music by Sousa here . John Philip Sousa | Blues Club John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa . John Philip Sousa (November 6, 1854 – March 6, 1932) was an American composer and conductor of the late Romantic era, known primarily for American military and patriotic marches. Because of his mastery of march composition, he is known as “The March King” or the “American March King” due to his British counterpart Kenneth J.

Alford also being known as “The March King”. Among his best-known marches are “The Liberty Bell”, “The Thunderer”, “The Washington Post”, “Semper Fidelis” (Official March of the United States Marine Corps), and “The Stars and Stripes Forever” (National March of the United States of America). Sousa’s father was Portuguese and Spanish, his father was born in Seville, Spain and his mother of Bavarian ancestry. Sousa began his career playing violin and studying music theory and composition under John Esputa and George Felix Benkert. His father enlisted him in the United States Marine Band as an apprentice in 1868. After departing the band in 1875, Sousa learned to conduct. From 1880 until his death, he focused exclusively on conducting and the writing of marches. He eventually rejoined the Marine Band and served there for 12 years as director. On leaving the Marine Band, Sousa organized his own band. He toured Europe and Australia and developed the sousaphone, a large brass instrument similar to the tuba.

On the outbreak of World War I, Sousa was commissioned as a Lieutenant Commander and led the Naval Reserve Band in Illinois. Following his tenure, he returned to conduct the Sousa Band until his death in 1932. Early life John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D.C., on November 6, 1854, to John Antonio Sousa, who was of Portuguese ancestry, and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus, who was of Bavarian ancestry. Sousa started his music education by playing the violin as a pupil of John Esputa and George Felix Benkert for harmony and musical composition at the age of six. He was found to have absolute pitch. During his childhood, Sousa studied voice, violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone horn, trombone and alto horn. When Sousa was 13, his father, a trombonist in the Marine Band, enlisted him in the United States Marine Corps as an apprentice to keep him from joining a circus band. Career Several years long after serving his apprenticeship, Sousa joined a theatrical (pit) orchestra where he learned to conduct. He returned to the U.S.

Marine Band as its head in 1880 and remained as its conductor until 1892. Sousa led “The President’s Own” band under five presidents from Rutherford B. Hayes to Benjamin Harrison. Sousa’s band played at two Inaugural Balls, those of James A. Garfield in 1881, and Benjamin Harrison in 1889. The marching brass bass, or sousaphone, a modified helicon, was created by J. W. Pepper – a Philadelphia instrument maker who created the instrument in 1893 at Sousa’s request using several of his suggestions in its design. He wanted a tuba that could sound upward and over the band whether its player was seated or marching. The sousaphone was re-created in 1898 by C.G. Conn and this was the model that Sousa preferred to use. He organized The Sousa Band the year he left the Marine Band. The Sousa Band toured from 1892–1931, performing at 15,623 concerts both in America and around the world,[8] including at the World Exposition in Paris, France.

In Paris, the Sousa Band marched through the streets to the Arc de Triomphe – one of only eight parades the band marched in over its forty years. Personal life On December 30, 1879, Sousa married Jane van Middlesworth Bellis (1862–1944). They had three children: John Philip, Jr. (April 1, 1881 – May 18, 1937), Jane Priscilla (August 7, 1882 – October 28, 1958), and Helen (January 21, 1887 – October 14, 1975). All were buried in the John Philip Sousa plot in the Congressional Cemetery. Wife Jane, daughters Jane Priscilla and Helen Abert joined the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1907. Their Patriot was Adam Bellis. Late in his life, Sousa lived in Sands Point, New York.

Sousa died of heart failure at the age of 77 on March 6, 1932, in his room at the Abraham Lincoln Hotel in Reading, Pennsylvania. He had conducted a rehearsal of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” the previous day with the Ringgold Band. He is buried in Washington, D.C.’s Congressional Cemetery. A school (John Philip Sousa Elementary) and a band shell were named after him and there was a memorial tree planted in nearby Port Washington, New York. Wild Bank, his seaside house on Hicks Lane, has been designated a National Historic Landmark, although it remains a private home and is not open to the public. He was posthumously enshrined in the Hall of Fame for Great Americans in 1976, one of just 102 Americans ever to be honored in such a manner. Military service Sousa served in the U.S. Marine Corps, first from 1868 to 1875 as an apprentice musician, and then as the head of the Marine Band from 1880 to 1892; he was a Sergeant Major for most of his second period of Marine service.

On May 31, 1917, shortly after the United States declared war on Germany and entered World War I, Sousa was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve. He was later promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander. During the war, Sousa led the Navy Band at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago, Illinois. Being independently wealthy, he donated his entire naval salary minus one dollar a year to the Sailors’ and Marines’ Relief Fund. After returning to his own band at the end of the war, he continued to wear his naval uniform for most of his concerts and other public appearances. For this service during the war, Sousa received the World War I Victory Medal. After the war, he was elected as a Veteran Companion of the Military Order of Foreign Wars. . Sousa wrote many notable operettas including: The Smugglers (1882) The Queen of Hearts (1885), also known as Royalty and Roguery El Capitan (1896) The Bride Elect (1897), libretto by Sousa.

The Charlatan (1898), also known as The Mystical Miss, lyrics by Sousa Chris and the Wonderful Lamp (1899) The Free Lance (1905) The American Maid (1909), also known as The Glass Blowers. Marches and waltzes have been derived from many of these stage-works. Sousa also composed the music for six operettas that were either unfinished or not produced: The Devils’ Deputy, Florine, The Irish Dragoon, Katherine, The Victory, and The Wolf. In addition, Sousa wrote a march based on themes from Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera The Mikado, the elegant overture Our Flirtations, a number of musical suites, etc. He frequently added Sullivan opera overtures or other Sullivan pieces to his concerts. He was quoted saying, “My religion lies in my composition. Writings, views and interests Sousa had several additional interests outside of music. He wrote three novels – The Fifth String, Pipetown Sandy, and The Transit of Venus – as well as a full-length autobiography, Marching Along and numerous articles and letters-to-the-editor on a variety of subjects.

He participated in trapshooting, taking an active role on the national stage in competitions. Trapshooting As a trapshooter, he ranks as one of the all-time greats, and is enshrined in the Trapshooting Hall of Fame. He organized the first national trapshooting organization, a forerunner to today’s Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA). Sousa remained active in the fledgling ATA for some time after its formation. Some credit Sousa as the father of organized trapshooting in United States. He also wrote numerous articles about trapshooting. Sousa was a regular competitor representing the United States Navy in trapshooting competitions, particularly against the United States Army. Available records indicate that Sousa registered more than 35,000 targets during his shooting career. A quote from his Trapshooting Hall of Fame biography says it best: “Let me say that just about the sweetest music to me is when I call, ‘pull,’ the old gun barks, and the referee in perfect key announces, ‘dead’.” Writing In his 1902 novel The Fifth String, a young violinist made a deal with the Devil for a magic violin with five strings.

The strings can excite the emotions of Pity, Hope, Love and Joy – the fifth string was of Death and can be played only once before causing the player’s own death. He was unable to win the love of the woman he desired. At a final concert, he played upon the death string. In 1905, Sousa published a book Pipetown Sandy, which included a satirical poem titled “The Feast of the Monkeys”. The poem described “a lavish party attended by variety of animals, however, overshadowed by the King of Beasts, the lion…who allows the muttering guests the privilege of watching him eat the entire feast”. At the end of his gluttony, the lion explained, “Come all rejoice, You’ve seen your monarch dine.” In 1920, he wrote a 40,000-word story, “The Transit of Venus”. It was about a group of misogynists called the Alimony Club who, as a way of temporarily escaping the society of women, embark on a sea voyage to observe the transit of Venus. The captain’s niece, however, had stowed away on board and soon won over the men.

Sousa also wrote a booklet, “A manual for trumpet and drum”, published by the Ludwig drum company, with advice for playing drums and trumpet. An early version of the trumpet solo to “Semper Fidelis” was included in this volume. Opposition to recording Sousa held a very low opinion of the emerging and upstart recording industry. Using an epithet coined by Mark Twain, he derided recordings as “canned music”, a reference to the early wax cylinder records that came in can-like cylindrical cardboard boxes. In a submission to a congressional hearing in 1906, he argued: These talking machines are going to ruin the artistic development of music in this country. When I was a boy … in front of every house in the summer evenings, you would find young people together singing the songs of the day or old songs. Today you hear these infernal machines going night and day. We will not have a vocal cord left. The vocal cord will be eliminated by a process of evolution, as was the tail of man when he came from the ape. Law professor Lawrence Lessig cited this passage to argue that in creating a system of copyrights in which control of music is in the hands of record labels, Sousa was essentially correct.

Sousa’s antipathy to recording was such that he almost never conducted his band when it was being recorded. Nevertheless, Sousa’s band made numerous recordings, the earliest being issued on cylinders by several companies, followed by many recordings on discs by the Berliner Gramophone Company and its successor, the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). The Berliner recordings were conducted by Henry Higgins (one of Sousa’s cornet soloists) and Arthur Pryor (Sousa’s trombone soloist and assistant conductor), with Sousa quoted as saying, “I have never been in the gramophone company’s office in my life.” A handful of the Victor recordings were actually conducted by Sousa, but most were conducted by Pryor, Herbert L. Clarke, Edwin H. Clarke, or by four of Victor’s most prolific house musicians: Walter B. Rogers (who had also been a cornet soloist with Sousa), Rosario Bourdon, Josef Pasternack, and Nathaniel Shilkret. Details of the Victor recordings are available in the external link below to the EDVR.

Other interests Sousa also appeared with his band in newsreels and on radio broadcasts (beginning with a 1929 nationwide broadcast on NBC). In 1999, Legacy Records released some of Sousa’s historic recordings on CD. In 1922, he accepted the invitation of the national chapter to become an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national honorary band fraternity. In 1925, he was initiated as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national fraternity for men in music, by the fraternity’s Alpha Xi chapter at the University of Illinois. In 1952, 20th Century Fox honored Sousa in their Technicolor feature film Stars and Stripes Forever with Clifton Webb portraying the composer. Fox music director Alfred Newman arranged the music and conducted the studio orchestra for the soundtrack. It was loosely based on Sousa’s memoirs, Marching Along. Biography from the Library of Congress John Philip Sousa was born in Washington, D. C. on November 6, 1854.

His father, John Antonio Sousa, was born in Spain of Portuguese parents, and his mother, Marie Elizabeth Trinkaus, was born in Bavaria. Sousa received his early education in Washington public schools, while simultaneously studying music at a private conservatory. At age 13, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Band as a “boy” (apprentice) musician, but he also continued his private music studies. His most important teacher was George Felix Benkert, with whom he studied violin, harmony, and composition. After serving seven years with the marines, he was discharged. Thereafter, he performed as a violinist and conductor in various theater orchestras in Washington and Philadelphia. By 1880, his fame as a conductor, composer, and arranger had been established. He was appointed leader of the U. S. Marine Band and held this position for 12 years, eventually molding the band into the finest military band in the world. Sousa resigned from the Marine Corps in 1892 to form his own civilian band. In a matter of months this band assumed a position of equality with the finest symphony orchestras of the day.

It was a concert organization, not a marching band. The finest available instrumentalists were engaged, and among the celebrated soloists to perform with the band over the years were Herbert L. Clarke (cornet), Arthur Pryor (trombone), Simone Mantia (euphonium), Estelle Liebling (soprano), and Maud Powell (violin). Numerous other artists of international fame performed with the band at one time or another. People throughout the world flocked to see “The March King” during his many American and worldwide tours. He employed a principle that endeared him to the public: Everything was played to perfection, whether it was a classical masterpiece or a popular song. Sousa was a man of considerable self-discipline and extraordinary talent. He excelled in everything he undertook, yet he was unassuming, approachable, tolerant, and in possession of an almost saintly disposition. To all who knew him, he was a man of incredibly high moral standards. From his childhood, he was determined, and industrious, and in command of such an unbounded optimism that nothing seemed impossible to him. Foremost in his mind was how best to please his audiences.

Sousa’s musical compositions represent a heritage that belongs not only to Americans, but also to vast numbers of music lovers around the world. His influence on American musical tastes was remarkable, and much of his influence spread abroad. The Sousa band traveled the world in 1910-1911, made four additional tours of Europe, and annual tours of America. Although Sousa is stereotyped as a march composer, he composed music of many forms, including 15 operettas. Among his many original works for band are suites, humoresques, fantasies, descriptive pieces, and dances. In addition to the over 200 songs of his operettas, he composed 70 other vocal works, and many of these vocal works wee transcribed for use with the Sousa Band. The musical philosophy, which stimulated his composing, (“I would rather be the composer of an inspired march than of a manufactured symphony.”) is reflected in all of his works.

Basically a humble, deeply religious man, he composed only upon genuine inspiration and repeatedly stated that his melodies came from a “Higher Power.” Sousa was an indefatigable worker, proclaiming that, “When you hear of Sousa retiring, you will hear of Sousa dead.” This prediction came true; he died suddenly following a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading Pennsylvania on March 6, 1932. He is buried with other family members at Congressional Cemetery in Washington. Among hundreds of honors he received during his lifetime and posthumously, was election to the Hall of Fame for Great Americans. Only 102 persons have been so honored. -Paul E. Bierley National Museum of the Marine Corps This exhibit tells the history of Marine involvement in the Spanish-American War. Guantanamo Bay This exhibit tells the story of the Battle for Cuzco Well. It includes a museum diorama depicting the heroic actions of Sgt John Quick and a docent video with more detail. Marine Life in the Philippines, 1901 This exhibit depicts what life was like for Marines fighting Philippine guerillas on Samar in the early 1900s. Lt.

Smedley Butler This exhibit tells the histroy of Lieutenant Smedley Butler, and displays several significant artifacts related to Butler. The Philippine Insurrection This exhibit describes the Marines fighting during the insurrection for Philippine independence. The Boxer Rebellion This exhibit tells the story of the harrowing 55-day siege in Peking, and the Marine efforts to protect western diplomats and their families. Latin American Interventions This exhibit recounts the stories of several Latin American Interventions. Latin American Interventions This exhibit recounts the stories of several Latin American Interventions. Modernization This exhibit presents the modernization of the Marine Corps at the turn of the 20th century, highlighting advances in aviation, artillery, and armored vehicles. King Armored Car On display is a King Armored Car, an early version of Marine armored vehicles. Includes a docent video presentation on the history of the King Armored Car. John Philip Sousa and the U.S. Marine Band This exhibit presents the United Sates Marine Band and tells the history of the celebrated composer, John Philip Sousa. Includes special video performances of the Marine Band.

John Philip Sousa, Sportsman and Composer Celebrated composer John Philip Sousa, the March King, wrote 136 marches in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of which are popular today. But Sousa was also known for his sport shooting. He was a world-class competitive trap shooter and conservationist, and in 1985 was inducted into the American Trapshooting Association Hall of Fame. The highly engraved shotgun is a 12-gauge shotgun that Sousa specially ordered. The other gun is a smaller, 20-gauge shotgun. Sousa's grandson donated both to the museum. Sousa was such an expert and dedicated shooter that the Ithaca Gun Company named their highest grade shotgun the "Sousa Grade." As Director of the United Sates Marine Band from 1880 to 1892, Sousa wrote his well-known march Semper Fidelis expressly for the Marine Corps. They adopted it as the official Marine Corps march. His patriotism inspired much of his musical composition.

Sailing home from a visit to Europe, he was so homesick for America that he paced the ship's deck composing the Stars and Stripes Forever in his head. Museum Videos John Philip Sousa Blog John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa was an American composer and conductor, famous for his patriotic military marches. He was given the nickname ï¿½The March King." Early years John Philip Sousa was born on November 6, 1854, in Washington, D.C. He was the third of 10 children. His parents were John Antonio Sousa and Maria Elisabeth Trinkhaus. His father played the trombone in a military band, so John grew up around military band music. When John was six, he began to study voice and numerous instruments, including violin, piano, flute, cornet, baritone, and trombone. When John was 13 years old, he attempted to run away and join a circus band, so his father enlisted him in the U.S. Marines as an apprentice. In 1872, John published his first composition, "Moonlight on the Potomac Waltzes." In 1875, he was discharged from the marines.

He began to perform on the violin, which led to him touring. John eventually began to conduct theater orchestras, including Gilbert & Sullivanï¿½s H.M.S. Pinafore on Broadway. In February 1879, he met Jane van Middlesworth Bellis during Pinafore rehearsals. They were married on December 30, 1879. The couple had three children. In 1880, John returned to Washington D.C., to assume leadership of the U.S. Marine Band. He led the band from 1880 to 1892. During that time, he conducted "The President's Own" any time the president needed music for an event ï¿½ a Marine Band prerogative. While conducting that band, Sousa served under presidents Rutherford B. Hayes , James A. Garfield , Chester Arthur , Grover Cleveland , and Benjamin Harrison . The first Sousa band In 1892, promoter David Blakely approached Sousa, and persuaded him to resign and organize a civilian concert band.

The first ï¿½Sousaï¿½s Band" concert was performed on September 26, 1892, at the Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey . Sousaï¿½s first operetta, El Capitan, made its debut in 1895. It was his most famous operetta and has been in production somewhere ever since it was written. He wrote 10 operettas. In 1896, while Sousa and his wife were in Europe on a vacation, they received word that his promoter had died. On the voyage home, John was inspired to write "The Stars and Stripes Forever." Sousa's band continued to tour widely, and in 1900, they represented the United States at the Paris Exposition before touring Europe. They toured Europe successfuly three times, the first in 1900, the second in 1901, and the last in 1905. In 1910, Sousa organized a successful world tour. Sousa joined the U.S.

Naval Reserve at age 62 in 1917, during World War I , and was given the rank of lieutenant. Following the war, he continued to tour with his band. He fought for the causes of music education and composers' rights, even testifying before Congress in 1927 and 1928. Over the band's 40-year lifetime, they gave 15,200 concerts. Conducting to the last After conducting a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pennsylvania , on March 6, 1932, John Philip Sousa died at the age of 77. The last piece he conducted was "The Stars and Stripes Forever." He remains the best-known composer of band marches. He composed 135, the most famous being Stars and Stripes, the nation's official march. Sousa was inducted into the Washington (D.C.) Area Music Hall of Fame, in 2002. Off-site search results for "John Philip Sousa"...

John Philip Sousa biography | birthday, trivia | American Bandleader | Who2 John Philip Sousa Biography Composer “March King” John Philip Sousa was the most famous band leader in the United States during his lifetime, a former U.S. Marine Band leader who composed and conducted some of the most well-known marches in the world. His professional career began as a violinist in travelling orchestras, but his first fame came as the leader of the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 until 1892. Sousa composed the official song of the Marine Corps, “Semper Fidelis” at the request of President Chester A. Arthur (who was looking for a song to replace “Hail to the Chief,” or so the story goes). In 1892 he started a civilian band that became internationally famous and hugely popular (in 1910 they toured the world). The band was known especially for marches that Sousa composed, notably “Stars and Stripes Forever,” designated in 1987 as the National March of the United States.

Extra credit Sousa also wrote operas and other pieces of music, as well as novels and poetry… In 1917 he enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve (at the age of 62) because of World War I. Clickautographs autographs - John Philip Sousa John Philip Sousa click on the small image to see a larger version Great American composer and conductor, known particularly for his military and patriotic marches; famous as “The March King". Sousa’s professional career began as a violinist in travelling orchestras, but his first fame came as the leader of the U.S. Marine Band from 1880 until 1892. Sousa composed the official song of the Marine Corps, "Semper Fidelis" at the request of President Chester A. Arthur (who was looking for a song to replace "Hail to the Chief," or so the story goes). In 1892 he started a civilian band that became internationally famous and hugely popular (in 1910 they toured the world).

The band was known especially for marches that Sousa composed, notably "Stars and Stripes Forever," designated in 1987 as the National March of the United States. Altogether, Sousa composed 136 military marches, including "The Washington Post" and "The Liberty Bell". He also wrote successful operettas, including El Capitan (1896), and dozens of other works. In the 1890s he developed a type of bass tuba now known as the sousaphone. This is a peachy early vintage German postcard, beautifully signed in blue fountain pen ink to a light area of the image, with Sousa adding the date, 1910. There's one tiny lower right corner crease (clearly visible on the scan), but this detracts little from the overall appeal of this stunning Sousa collectible and general condition must be rated very good. ‘The March King’ (January-February 2008) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin Expand image To commemorate the Nov.

6 birthday of world-renowned bandleader and composer John Philip Sousa (1854-1932), a new Web site dedicated to the composer of “The Stars and Stripes Forever” is now available from the Library of Congress at . This presentation provides access to many music manuscripts from the John Philip Sousa Collection, which is housed in the Library’s Music Division. Also online are more than 450 pieces of printed music and historic recordings of the Sousa Band. The site includes a selection of photographs and the manuscript of “Pipetown Sandy,” Sousa’s semiautobiographical novel of a boy’s adventures in Civil War-era Washington, D.C. Copies of programs and press clippings from the band’s 1919-20 North American tour press books appear courtesy of the U.S. Marine Band Library. Although he is best known for his marches, Sousa composed a variety of music, including operettas, suites, fantasies, vocal works and dances. Born in Washington, D.C., Sousa enlisted in the U.S. Marine Band as an apprentice musician at the age of 13.

After being discharged, he made his living as a violinist and conductor in various theater orchestras in Washington and Philadelphia. His renown as a composer, conductor and arranger grew, and in 1880 he was appointed leader of the U.S. Marine Band, known as “The President’s Own,” a position he held until 1892. After leaving the Marine Band, he formed his own professional concert band, which employed some of the finest musicians of the day, including Herbert L. Clarke on cornet, Arthur Pryor on trombone and Maud Powell on violin. Known throughout the world as “The March King,” Sousa traveled with his band to entertain people around the country. He and his musicians traveled around the world as well, promoting American music everywhere they went. Sousa died after a rehearsal of the Ringgold Band in Reading, Pa., on March 6, 1932. He was buried at Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. On Dec. 11, 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed a law designating Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever” as the national march of the United States.

The first recording of this famous march was made in 1897 by the company of the inventor of the 78-rpm gramophone disc, Emile Berliner (whose papers are in the Library of Congress. The recording was selected for inclusion on the National Recording Registry list in 2002 (the registry’s inaugural year). John Philip Sousa began donating his music manuscripts to the Music Division of the Library of Congress in 1914. Over the years, Sousa family members and others have presented additional Sousa-related materials to the Library. The John Philip Sousa Collection now contains approximately 10,000 items, including music and literary manuscripts, printed music, photographs and business records of the Sousa band. John Philip Sousa IV, the composer’s great-grandson, continues to enrich the collection with additional research materials. Also housed in the Sousa Collection is “The Library of Congress March,” an unpublished work written in 1932, the year of Sousa’s death.

Loras Schissel, a Music Division specialist and Sousa authority, directed his own band, The Virginia Grand Military Band, in the premiere performance of the Library’s march on May 6, 2003, as a special tribute to Library benefactor John W. Kluge, on the eve of the opening of the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress (See Information Bulletin, June 2003 .) Sousa’s great-grandson attended the event. John Philip Sousa - Songwriter, Inventor - Biography.com John Philip Sousa U.S. bandmaster and composer John Philip Sousa was known as “The March King.” In the 1890s he developed a type of bass tuba with J.W. Pepper now known as the sousaphone. IN THESE GROUPS Famous People Who Died in Reading Synopsis John Philip Sousa was born November 6, 1854 in Washington, D.C. In 1868 he became an apprentice in the U.S. Marine Band. 1880–1892 he directed the group, building it into a virtuoso ensemble.

In 1892 he formed his own band and toured internationally. In all, he composed 136 military marches. He also wrote operettas. In the 1890s he worked with J.W. Pepper to develop a type of bass tuba now known as the sousaphone. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Citation Information

Question: What American composer, and head of the Marine Band from 1880 to 1892, was known as The March King?
Answer: John Phillip Sousa